FTC: Ads on mobile, social media must show disclosures

8:41 AM,
Mar. 13, 2013

Written by

Roger Yu
USA TODAY

Marketers hawking diet pills and other questionable goods on social media will have to be more forthcoming.

Digital ads that pop up on Twitter, Facebook and other mobile sites must be accompanied by disclosures to avoid deceptive practices, according to a rule update issued Tuesday by the Federal Trade Commission.

The new rule "takes into account the expanding use of smartphones with small screens and the rise of social-media marketing," the consumer protection agency said in a statement. "The updated guidance emphasizes that consumer protection laws apply equally to marketers ...